Bloglander

Verner turns to print media over back-pay scrap

Former Spokane Mayor Mary Verner has taken an ad out in this week's Inlander to respond to the controversy surrounding revelations that she requested a salary assessment and retirement benefits after leaving office.

Diane Rice, Verner's daughter and a former campaign staffer, says that the ex-mayor wanted to clarify her request and to explain to the public and the people who supported her in office what Rice called a misunderstanding.

Verner writes in the ad that she wants people to understand that her intent was only ever to serve the city of Spokane and that, when she inquired about the money that she turned down during her time in office, she was not asking for it back.

“When I requested a salary adjustment, my motive was to determine whether my retirement pay could be calculated on the allocated salary of the position under the City Charter, rather than based on the greatly-reduced salary I chose to accept,” Verner says in the ad.